[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13106]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION FOR A BILL TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO 
  PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE EASTERN NEW MEXICO RURAL WATER 
AUTHORITY FOR THE PLANNING, DESIGN, AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE EASTERN NEW 
           MEXICO RURAL WATER SYSTEM, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM UDALL

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 18, 2004

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, today I am very pleased to 
introduce a bill that will authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to help 
communities in eastern New Mexico develop the Eastern New Mexico Rural 
Water System (ENMRWS). A companion to this bill, S. 2513, was 
introduced in the Senate by my colleague Senator Bingaman on June 9, 
2004. There has long been a recognized need for a reliable and safe 
supply of potable water for this region. After years of drought and 
ever increasing population growth, this water supply project is now 
absolutely critical for the continued economic well-being of Curry, 
Roosevelt and Quay counties in eastern New Mexico.
  The Entrada and the Southern High Plains, or Ogallala, Aquifers 
currently provide 100 percent of the municipal and industrial water 
supplies and the vast majority of agricultural water for communities in 
these east central New Mexico counties. However, both the quantity and 
quality of these groundwater reserves have declined severely in recent 
decades. Despite voluntary conservation efforts and improvements in 
agricultural water-use efficiencies, these groundwater supplies will 
not sustain current use levels in as little as 12 years and may be 
funcationally depleted within 25 years.
  The water supply project that would be authorized by this legislation 
builds upon more than 40 years of research, planning, and design. In 
1959, after recognizing the water supply problems in eastern New 
Mexico, the New Mexico Legislature and Interstate Stream passed an Act 
authorizing the State Engineer to construct a dam on the Canadian 
River, thus establishing the Ute Resevoir. Since 1966, numerous 
Congressionally-authorized studies addressed the feasibility of a 
project that would utilize the Ute Resevoir as a reliable water supply 
for communities in eastern New Mexico. Finally, in the late 1990s, 
several communities, concerned about the increasingly urgent need, came 
together to begin planning for the development of a regional water 
system.
  The Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Supply Authority, consisting of 
nine communities in the Curry, Roosevelt and Quay counties of eastern 
New Mexico, was formed in 2001 to oversee the development of the 
ENMRWS. This Authority has expeditiously and effectively finalized the 
studies and planning necessary to move forward with this project.
  Mr. Speaker, as you can see from this brief history, the citizens of 
eastern New Mexico have both proven the critical need and completed the 
necessary steps that must form the basis for a project of this 
magnitude. This project is not new and the need for water is becoming 
increasingly more urgent. Without this project, it is clear that this 
important region will suffer economically. I believe that none of us in 
this House wants to stand by and watch vibrant communities dissolve 
into western ghost towns especially when a well-studied, adequate 
solution exists. I sincerely hope my colleagues will support this 
legislation and help provide a positive, long-term solution to a 
pressing water need in the rural West. This legislation represents the 
important next step toward addressing this issue, and I look forward to 
working with the entire New Mexico Congressional delegation.
  Thank you very much.

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